title: Analysis of the retrieval times of a centralised transport service, New South Wales, Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the transport times of immediate and emergency retrievals for neonatal and paediatric patients retrieved by ground and air from general hospitals to tertiary centres.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a database review of the records of 17 011 requests for retrieval to a centralised transport service in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia from 2000 to 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immediate and emergency retrievals included 4575 (43.7%) neonatal and 5887 (56.3%) paediatric retrievals. The median stabilisation time was 97 min for neonatal compared with 50 min for paediatric retrievals. Neonatal retrievals had a significantly longer stabilisation time (approx x2), handover time (approx x1.2) and mission time (approx x1.3) compared to paediatric retrievals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Establishing reference times for the transport process is a valuable quality assurance tool. Such data will be valuable for staff and budgeting purposes and for evaluating new interventions that reduce retrieval times.
authors.affiliation: NETS, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Abdel-Latif
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berry
mesh_terms: D017732:Air Ambulances / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020958:Australian Capital Territory; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*